Editing 19th of April Movement (section)

=== Kidnapping and murder of José Raquel Mercado ===
On 15 February 1976, the M-19 kidnapped the union leader Jose Raquel Mercado, who was the president of Confederation of Workers of Colombia (CTC), charged him with selling out the interests of Colombian workers to U.S. imperialism, and sentenced him to death. The group accused Mercado of taking bribes and collaborating with the [[CIA|Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The FARC-Colombian Peace Deal: No Better Option - Foreign Policy Research Institute |url=https://www.fpri.org/article/2016/09/farc-colombian-peace-deal-no-better-option/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=www.fpri.org |language=en-US}}</ref>   The M-19 had offered to "commute" the labor leader's death sentence if the government reinstated thousands of fired workers, gave public employees the right to strike and published a communique in 12 Colombian newspapers.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |date=1976 |title=Labor Leader Found Slain In Colombia |work= The Miami Herald}}</ref> Mercado's body was wrapped in plastic, and propped up against a lamppost in a Bogota park.